30 days of TaePyo
by risecchiwrites
Summary: exactly what the title said tbh. Block B / Lee Taeil x Pyo Jihoon
1. Day 1

_holding hands  
_

* * *

"Should I hold your hand, hyung?"

The question hung heavily in the air, dulling all the white noises in the background. As Taeil looked up at the source of the sound, Jihoon was staring back at him innocuously.

"Why?" Taeil asked back after a brief pause, raising both of his brows at the peculiar offer.

As if he'd foreseen his hyung's reaction, Jihoon's lips quirked up a sheepish smile. "It's really crowded here," He muttered, sweeping his gaze through the group of people within his sight. "You're so tiny, hyung, I'm afraid I'll lose you."

His words were followed by a light chuckle that Taeil blatantly ignored, but not because he was particularly annoyed. He was too busy sorting out Jihoon's offer in his head and how it made Taeil's own hand grow cold and twitchy, as if it became aware of him.

"Hyung?"

Taeil brought his gaze back to the road before him, and he didn't dare to look up as he quietly entwined his pinky with Jihoon's. "Sure, whatever." He said imperturbably with a shrug of his shoulder.

None of them said anything after that, or when Jihoon slowly slid his hand into Taeil. And as Jihoon tightened his fingers around him, he unconsciously squeezed him back.

It wasn't a one-time occurrence, that hand holding. Apparently it became a thing for Jihoon to suddenly intertwine their fingers together; whether it was at the airport, or after they finished having dinner at a crowded place, or even in a middle of shooting – where Taeil was forced to keep up with the pace of his long-legged crew members.

But there were times when Taeil became extremely skeptical at the gesture – like this time, for example. There were no crowd or mob of fans or crew whatsoever, it was just him, Jihoon, Minhyuk and their managers.

Jihoon had his long fingers draped around his as they were seated in the waiting room, and it was completely unnerving because there was a lot of thing he wanted to do; like playing mobile games for example. And no, Taeil wasn't trying to make up excuses just because he felt conscious. Of course not. He tried sneaking glances at Minhyuk, but obviously, he didn't even bother to bat an eye at their direction.

If he were to be honest with himself, he could just yank his hand free without saying anything. He knew that giant baby wouldn't even say anything in his defense but…

If he unintentionally made Pyo Jihoon feel rejected, he'd definitely regret it.

After a fleeting moment of silence with nothing but the faint sound of his manager talking through the phone, Taeil exhaled through his nose and whined. "Jihoonie, my palm is sweating."

"Ah," instinctively, Jihoon released his iron grip and drew his hand back, a familiar grin on his face. "Sorry, hyung."

"Ah, seriously, you," Taeil wiped his palm on his jeans, unsure of what to do now that he got his hand free. Now it was just sitting awkwardly at his thigh, somehow a little jittery. "Why do you keep taking my hand?" He asked out of pure curiosity, though a little wary of how the answer would come out. He felt Jihoon shifted beside him, followed by a questioning look thrown at his direction by Minhyuk. Well at the very least, the question peaked his interest too.

"Because…" Jihoon started quietly. "Taeil hyung's hand is so chubby and tiny, it's cute. You're really cute."

Taeil couldn't even bring himself to feel angry nor annoyed – he just sat there watching as Minhyuk's smile slowly grew into a sneaky one before that little shit exited the waiting room. Now, Taeil had heard those words hundreds of times – yes, Jihoon had mentioned it _that_ much. But hearing it directly when there was no camera in sight and no fans to please; it felt unexpectedly odd for him. _Too intimate,_ he might have added.

"Aish, you," Taeil gave up on whatever he was about to say as he slowly turned his face to the side. He was being weird, but so was Jihoon. His fingers unconsciously twitched.

"Isn't it cold, hyung?"

Taeil didn't reply; but the two of them knew better. Taeil didn't complain either when he felt the heat of Jihoon's palm against his own, gradually enveloping him with a different kind of warmth.


	2. Day 2

Day 2 – cuddling somewhere

Somewhere?

Now where would that somewhere be.

It could be anywhere - like the corner of their practice room, the cramped and worn-out couch inside their studio - or even the empty space just in the middle of their dorm.

In many random occasions, Park Kyung had found his junior taking up his chances with the eldest in his group, and it wasn't the kind of memory he'd like to recall.

If someone were to ask him (in private) what his thought about the maknae was, he'd definitely answer, "Sneaky bastard," without any second thought. Though he'd only meant that in a brotherly love way, a small part of him just knows that Pyo Jihoon, despite his cute and sometimes passive behavior, always gets what he wants.

Now, it was nothing new for Taeil to come by dance practice looking half-asleep (or half-awake, either works). He would spent practice wriggling half-heartedly before finally sitting down in a corner somewhere, eyes gazing up to the far distance before him. At times like that, Jihoon would slid right next to him, sneaked his arm around Taeil's shoulders and pulled him closer without a single care of being watched by the rest of his hyungs.

He would whisper gently to the sleepy baby Taeil, "Are you sleepy hyung?" And Taeil would just nod his head because indeed he was, because if he wasn't he would definitely shove the kid away. Jihoon knew this for a fact, Kyung decided. Jihoon knew, so he was doing his best to put a good use of his wee bit chance.

"Come on, up up." Jiho suddenly said, voice bouncing around the small room. "Let's revise this one part first."

Kyung pushed himself up with a teasing whine, occasionally throwing glances at Jihoon's direction. By that time, Taeil was already fast asleep in Jihoon's arms, flushed together like a newly wed couple on a honeymoon. Kyung scrunched up his face in slight distaste. No wonder their fans wrote the weirdest things - they were just adding fuel to the fire.

"Taeil looked tired," Jihoon finally said, his lips pressed to the crown of Taeil's head. "Let him sleep a bit more?" He tried negotiating.

"No." Jiho's answer was immediate. "Wake him up too."

The maknae smiled resignedly, as if he'd known their leader would say that and gently shook Taeil's body. "Hyung, practice is starting~"

Kyung watched as Taeil shifted in his position, slowly rousing awake. He didn't seem to mind so much about the position he was in - instead he snuggled deeper into the warmth, humming, before finally peeling himself away.

"Coming..." He murmured tiredly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Kyung had seen something like this a few times already, mainly because he still lived in the dorm, but their interaction - and mainly their stupid maknae, just wouldn't stop intriguing him.

How would that feel? Would Jiho embrace him the same way as Jihoon did to Taeil?

His stomach unconsciously clenched. Great, now he just grossed himself out.


	3. Day 3

Day 3 – Watching a movie

"Ah, why are you even here," The guy wrapped in a thick layer of clothing – Taeil, whined while wiping his reddening nose, but there was not a hint of irritation in his eyes. "You should've gone with them." He cleared his throat at the end of his speech, frowning slightly at how parched his voice had become.

Jihoon kept a watchful eye at Taeil over the cup of his hot coffee. "I'd rather stay at home." He said through a toothy smile. "Besides, I heard it's going to rain soon."

"Liar. You don't even live here." Taeil stopped in front of the kitchen sink, lowering his head. He coughed a few times, gripping the edge of the sink before turning the tap on. "This sucks. Why am I sick today of all days…"

"Are you that excited to see the other members after so long?" Jihoon teased, placing his cup and scooting closer to the elder. He rubbed Taeil's back soothingly, his hands moving in a slow circle.

Taeil hung his head, watching the water surged down to the drainage, his head hurt too much to keep his eyes focused. He wasn't particularly excited at meeting the others, a little relieved, maybe, but not as enthusiastic as Jihoon. He loved the idea of free food, though, and Jiho had always treated them to the best restaurants, even if it wasn't too often. It irritated him enough to know that he'd have to wait for another few months until the next offer arrives.

"Hyung?" Jihoon began worriedly, leaning in closer when he heard no response. "Are you okay? Do you want something to drink?" Taeil could feel his breath on his nape, raising his body temperature even more. He pushed the taller boy away, feet a little wobbly.

"No, no I'm fine." Taeil stated, trying to sound solid. "You could still catch up with Kyung and the others if you hurry." He made a beeline toward the living room, fighting the loud pounding inside of his head and the sharp cold biting at his toes.

"And what, leave you here alone?" Jihoon asked, bewildered.

Taeil fell to the couch weakly. "Yes." His answer was muffled with fabric covering his face up to his mouth.

"You know I'm not going to do that, right?" With a few lengthy steps, Jihoon reached the couch and positioned himself right next to Taeil. He pulled his long legs unto the couch, brushing their knees together. He looked over at Taeil, whose eyes were wet with tears, glittering in the darkness. They sat in a tranquil silence, just looking at each other until Taeil's sniffling made him blink.

"Thought as much," Taeil answered again before dragging his eyes away. He could feel his cheeks starting to burn hot, and not because of the _damn_ cold. He pulled the scarf further up, trying to hide his gradually-reddening skin. Jihoon never peels his gaze away from him, and it was getting a little embarrassing. He never liked being babied; not even by Jihoon, but now he barely even had any strength to fight back. Jihoon brushed his fingers against his temple lightly – his touch cold against his skin, bringing his sense back to life.

"Just tell me if you need anything," Jihoon said quietly. He pulled his hand back before Taeil could even say anything in return and reached down to the shelf underneath the TV. "In the meantime, hyung, let's watch something fun…" He rummaged through boxes and boxes of DVDs, while Taeil was just watching quietly, legs pulling into his chest.

"I don't really watch movies," He said hoarsely.

"You only have horror flicks here." Jihoon hummed while flipping the boxes in his hand.

"That's Kyung's," Taeil supplied. "Jiho likes stuff like that."

"Do you?"

The sarcastic tone in his maknae's comment made Taeil's hand twitch. _Well,_ Taeil was never a fan of horror movies – and if he were to be completely honest, he despises it – but he refused to admit his weakness, even to Jihoon. "I don't really watch movies." He repeated.

"So it's okay?" The maknae murmured, flicking the DVD box open.

Taeil blinked, and was quiet for a while before he cleared his throat and answered, "Sure." He closed his eyes briefly, reprimanding himself for being so lame as Jihoon shifted forward to put the DVD into the player. Taeil didn't even know what they were about to watch until he grabbed the box himself. It was a classic Thai horror movie, and just the cover alone was enough to make him cringe in disgust.

Jihoon brought him his blanket, and throughout the first half of the movie, Taeil gripped it tightly in front of him, trying not to jump or gasp at the jumpscares. He wondered what the _hell_ did Jiho find to be interesting in this kind of movie. Every time the scene went quiet with the classic thrilling music, time seemed to stop for Taeil as he wished everything would just be over already.

Jihoon was awfully quiet during the whole movie, and it felt weird, even for his standard. It almost felt like there was a heavy silence between the two of them, so Taeil sneaked a glance at his direction.

Jihoon's expression was hard and almost emotionless – and skin was pale as a sheet. His pupils were shaking and he blinked too much for a normal person.

Just what is that kid trying to achieve?

"Are you scared?" Taeil muttered, trying not to sound like he was teasing the younger boy.

Jihoon looked down at him and blinked, trying to look as calm as possible. "No,"

Taeil snorted at that. "You're lying~"

"Hyung…" Jihoon wailed, scrunching up his face. " _You're_ the one who's scared."

"Well excuse you – " Taeil was cut off by a loud bang coming from the front entrance. It was too loud, too sudden, and he let out a pathetic shriek as his heart leaped out of his chest, keeping him still in place. Jihoon, who was as startled as him, lurched forward at Taeil's direction and curled himself into a ball, his scream muffled.

Kyung, who had just surfaced from the door looked absolutely baffled. "What the hell?"

Taeil blinked at the direction of the door, where a confused looking Kyung and Jaehyo stood. It took a while for Taeil's brain to register what was going on, and when it did, he violently rubbed his face with hands in exasperation. His heart was still beating loudly, tight against his chest. "Why the fuck are you here," He growled, voice rough because of the cold.

"We _live here,_ " Kyung deadpanned, furrowing his brows as he stepped forward.

"I heard screaming," Jaehyo added, eyes flickering between the TV and Taeil. "Weird screaming."

As Taeil sighed, Jihoon finally lifted his head to peek at the newcomers. "We thought you wouldn't be here until late."

"Well, Taeil wasn't feeling well so this guy," Kyung gestured at Jaehyo. "Was practically nagging us to go home earlier because he was _worried_." He narrowed his eyes and scanned the surrounding before folding his arms in front of him. "But you guys were about to do something frisky instead."

"We were not!" Jihoon said almost immediately, straightening his body up. "At least, not yet."

"I'm fucking sleeping." Taeil stood up instantaneously, massaging his temple. He didn't even bother to spare a glance at his friends as he slowly made his way to his room, not even when Jihoon called out to him worriedly several times. His head felt as if it might explode – he was so fucking tired, both physically, and emotionally.

But as he closed his eyes to get a good night rest, the images from the movies kept haunting him, keeping him awake.

"Goddamn it, Jihoon."


End file.
